Prospect Talent Score

Probability of Success

History

2007-08: In 35 games with JYP’s U20 squad, Sami Vatanen scored nine goals and 29 assists. He also competed with Finland’s national team at the U18 WJC, registering three helpers in six games.

2008-09: Vatanen suited up for 20 games with JYP in the U20 SM-Liiga, posting three goals and seven assists. Captained the Finnish entry in the U18 World Championships, winning a bronze medal in the process. Vatanen was chosen in the fourth round, 106th overall, of the 2009 NHL Draft by the Anaheim Ducks.

2009-10: Playing for JyP HT Jyvaskyla of the Finnish league, Vatanen posted 7 goals, 23 assists, 44 PIM, and 4 powerplay goals. He also registered 324 shots. He also represented Finland at the WJC where he posted 2 goals and 3 assists in 6 games. At the end of the season, he skated for Finland at the World Cup, where he went scoreless in 7 games.

2010-11: Vatanen was an offensive catalyst from his defense spot as a 19-year-old in his second season with JyP, the top team in Finland’s SM-Liiga. JyP finished with 129 points – ten points ahead of second-place Assat Pori and Vatanen was a team-leading +30 plus/minus with 11 goals and 20 assists in 52 games. He was +4 with 1 goal and 1 assist in three playoff games before suffering a leg injury that kept him out of the remainder of the playoffs and the 2011 IIHF World Championship. Vatanen played for Finland at the 2011 U20 World Junior Championship and was +7 with 4 assists. He signed a three-year, entry-level contract with Anaheim in May 2011.

2011-12: Vatanen was the second-leading scorer among defensemen in Finland’s SM-Liiga behind veteran Toni Soderholm. He scored 14 goals with 28 assists in 49 games in his third season with league champion JyP. Vatanan missed time mid-season with a broken finger and also suffered a leg injury during the SM-Liiga playoffs that limited him to four games. JyP defeated Pelicans in the Kanada Cup finals after finishing fourth in the regular season . Vatanen scored 2 goals and was plus-two with 4 penalty minutes in the playoffs. His injury kept him out of the 2012 U20 IIHF World Championship – which was co-hosted by Finland and Sweden.

2012-13: Vatanen appeared in eight NHL games with Anaheim and was the second-leading scorer for the Ducks’ AHL affiliate Norfolk in his first pro season in North America. He made his NHL debut as a 21-year-old in a game against Minnesota on February 1st and played in three games before being returned to Norfolk then was called up in April and finished the season with Anaheim. He scored 2 goals and was +3, averaging 15:49 minutes of ice time with Anaheim. Vatanen was with the Ducks during the playoffs but did not see any action. In 62 AHL games with the Admirals he scored 9 goals with a team-leading 36 assists and was an even plus/minus with 44 penalty minutes. Norfolk was fifth in the East Division; two points out of an AHL playoff spot.

Talent Analysis

Vatanen has game-breaking potential with his speed, imagination, and seeing-eye wrist shot. As a puck-carrying, puck-moving defenseman, his skills are on par with the best prospects out there. Vatanen remains rather undersized, which will present a major obstacle as he transitions onto North American ice. He also can be a bit of a risk in his own zone as his size and aggressive offensive style can lead him to getting out of position.

Future

Vatanen was an absolute killer in his rookie season in the AHL, scoring 45 points in 62 games and making the AHL All-Star and All-Rookie Teams for 2012-13. Despite his fantastic offensive game he still was questionable defensively though. However those detractors should not stop him from starting the year with the Ducks in a protected minutes role. Moving forward, Vatanen has true potential to be the Ducks second pairing puck-mover as well as a powerplay specialist on their top unit.

Photo: John Gibson and Sami Vatanen are among Anaheim’s top prospects. They were selected in the second round of the 2011 Draft and fourth round of the 2009 Draft, respectively. (courtesy of Harry How/Getty Images)

The Anaheim Ducks are becoming mighty once again. The 2013-14 season saw the team lead the Western Conference in points, and they also had prospects at all levels of the game make big impacts with their respective teams.

Photo: The third of five Anaheim picks in 2013, defenseman Keaton Thompson made his college hockey debut with the University of North Dakota in 2013-14 (courtesy of Richard T Gagnon/Getty Images)

The Anaheim Ducks enter the summer of 2014 with a bit of disappointment after losing to the eventual Stanley Cup Champions, the Los Angeles Kings, in the second round despite finishing atop the NHL standings at the conclusion of the regular season. Their performance this season was seen as a pleasant surprise though, and with so many young players within the organization showing promise, there is plenty to look forward to for Ducks fans.

Photo: Originally called up to Anaheim due to injuries, Frederik Andersen won 20 games in 28 appearances as an NHL rookie in 2013-14 (courtesy of Chris Williams/Icon SMI)

The Anaheim Ducks organization enjoyed success not only at the NHL level, but nearly across the board in terms of their prospects as well. While most predicted the Ducks would make the playoffs, few could have expected a 116-point season to finish atop the Western Conference.

Photo: Goaltender John Gibson, who has found success as a rookie pro this season for Norfolk in the AHL, takes over the top spot in the Ducks Top 20 update (courtesy of Norm Hall/NHLI via Getty Images)

Photo: The Ducks NHL lineup includes two picks from 2009, defenseman Sami Vatanen (pictured) and winger Kyle Palmieri. Anaheim’s 15th overall pick, Peter Holland, is also in the NHL with Toronto (courtesy of Warren Wimmer/Icon SMI)

Entering the 2009 NHL Draft, the Ducks were just two years removed from hoisting the Stanley Cup Finals, and with forwards such as Ryan Getzlaf, Corey Perry, and Bobby Ryan quickly becoming the face of the franchise, management felt a need to restock the cupboard offensively in the first round.